leap: Meaning and Definition of

leap

Pronunciation: (lēp), [key]
— v., n. leaped leapt, leap•ing,
—v.i.
  1. to spring through the air from one point or position to another; jump: to leap over a ditch.
  2. to move or act quickly or suddenly: to leap aside; She leaped at the opportunity.
  3. to pass, come, rise, etc., as if with a jump: to leap to a conclusion; an idea that immediately leaped to mind.
—v.t.
  1. to jump over: to leap a fence.
  2. to pass over as if by a jump.
  3. to cause to leap: to leap a horse.
—n.
  1. a spring, jump, or bound; a light, springing movement.
  2. the distance covered in a leap; distance jumped.
  3. a place leaped or to be leaped over or from.
  4. a sudden or abrupt transition: a successful leap from piano class to concert hall.
  5. a sudden and decisive increase: a leap in the company's profits.
  6. very rapidly: We are progressing by leaps and bounds.
  7. an action of which the consequences are unknown: The experiment was a leap in the dark.
  8. an act or instance of accepting or trusting in something that cannot readily be seen or proved.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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